The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.
Compiled and Edited by Virginia Ross
Stronghurst Graphic July 5, 1923
The Fourth of July: Independence Day was not marked by any public observance in Stronghurst and barring the occasional explosion of a fire cracker, tranquility reigned throughout the day. Most of the business places closed early and who did not join the procession which headed for Burlington or leave for other places were entertainment was provided, remained quietly at home or went on short picnic and fishing excursions.
The more than Sabbath quietness which marked the day in the village was in sharp contrast with the din and racket which prevailed during the two or three preceding days when most of the noisy patriotism of young America and some of the older America in the community was expended. There seems to have been no restriction placed upon either the sale or use of giant crackers and other explosives in the village this year. The racket, which characterized the few days preceding the Fourth culminated on Tuesday evening in a din and roar such as has been seldom heard in the village and which was calculated to shake the nerves of the well and strong to say nothing of those who were ill and easily affected by noise and racket.
The people who went to Burlington to see the Regatta and fireworks report that the jam on the streets of the city and on the roads leading thereto was so great that the pleasure they experienced was in many cases overbalanced by fear for their safety. Many were unable to get within several blocks of the river front where most of the attractions were staged and those who had anticipated finding a good place on this side of river from which to view the fireworks, found the principal vantage points already occupied. Those who did see the fireworks reported the display as rather disappointing in view of the advertising which had been given.
THE FOURTH OF JULY 25 YEARS EARLIER-1898: A crowd of about 3,000 people, the largest ever assembled in Stronghurst up to that time, attended a Fourth of July celebration here. The Raritan band furnished the music for the occasion and Rev. A.N. Lindsey was the orator of the forenoon taking the place of Senator Harper of Burlington who was unable to be present. In the afternoon there was music by a Biggsville glee club and an address by Judge L.Y. Sherman of Macomb. The firemen did a drill and exhibition and an entertainment at the opera house was held in the evening. The news of Commodore Schley's (or was it Sampsen's) great exploit in destroying the Spanish squadron near Santiago, Cuba on July 3rd reached Stronghurst in time to furnish the occasion for an extra outburst of enthusiasm on the Fourth.
MONMOUTH DAILY ATLAS SOLD: The Monmouth Daily Atlas of which B.E. Pinkerton has been the principal owner for several years, has been sold to A. W. Barnes of Loveland, Colo. The new owner is a son of Rev. J. A. Barnes of Monmouth and is a graduate of Monmouth College of the class of 1904. For nine years he was connected in an editorial capacity with the Philadelphia Evening Telegram and Public Ledger, resigning his position with the latter to buy a newspaper in Loveland, Colo. There he made a complete success of the Reporter-Herald, a daily paper which he sold recently. He is a member of the Monmouth College Senate and has always kept in close touch with Monmouth affairs. Under his ownership and management the Atlas will no doubt maintain the high prestige which it has enjoyed.
WEDDING BELLS: The marriage of Virgil Putney to Miss May Garrison of Dewitt, Nebr. occurred on June 25th at Oquawka with the ceremony being performed by Judge Gordon. Virgil is one of Stronghurst's energetic and ambitious young men with an honorable record as a soldier in the late war. His bride is unknown in this vicinity, but is no doubt worthy of the one whom she has accepted as a life companion.
ANOTHER ROUND IN FAMOUS CASE: The LaHarpe-Johnson will case was again argued by attorneys but it had little bearing on an early settlement of the 17 year old litigation. This is evidenced by the fact that the court ordered Samuel Naylor, receiver of the Johnson estate to rent the lands for the next year, to pay the taxes, to institute suit for collection of rents now due and unpaid and to make necessary repairs to the improvement on the various farm belonging to the estate.-Hancock County Journal.
MEDIA MEANDERINGS: Mr. and Mrs. N.J. Gram were delightfully surprised Sabbath afternoon when about fifty relatives and friends drove over from Monmouth to help them celebrate their 40th wedding anniversary. Rev. J. Dales Buchannan of Monmouth, who has spent the past two years studying in Scotland, will occupy the U.P. pulpit next Sabbath. Rev. Buchannan is the son of Rev. Buchannan who several years ago was the pastor of Walnut Grove Church. He was the one who started services in Wever Academy before the church was built. Miss Mabel Berghorn of Barrington, Ill. is a guest in the W.A. Spears home. Wednesday evening at the home of the bride's parents near Gladstone occurred the marriage of Miss Martha Stonebeck to Mr. Marshall Spears. The groom is the son of Mr. and Mrs. W.A. Spears who live northwest of town. Mrs. Bernice Rodin and sister Grace Hickman are in Galesburg where they have employment as solicitors for Swift & Co. The school board of the elementary school have employed Mr. James Shoemaker as principal and Miss Florence Gram as primary teacher for the coming school year. Mr. and Mrs. Jno. Staley of Stronghurst are with their daughter, Mrs. Emory Cavins, while Mr. Staley is doing some carpenter work for several parties including repair work at the Wever Academy.
Perry Heap and Gail Sullivan drove to Peoria to get repairs for the Heap binder so as to be ready for their large harvest. Archie Heap has 220 acres of wheat and 170 acres of oats. He will run three binders and will have quite a force of men to help care for his large fields of grain. Quite a number are already cutting wheat. M. B. Drain is working on the Sinclair pipeline near Dallas City. Mr. and Mrs. Earl Campbell and Mr. and Mrs. Les Sullivan have opened a restaurant in the E.G. Lewis See Co. building, one door north of their office. Everything is new and up to date and the fixtures are quite neat and attractive.
BIGGSVILLE BRIEFS: John Gibson is taking a two weeks vacation for the rural route No. 2; Mrs. Carrie Wiegand is acting as substitute. Mrs. W. B. Jamison was moved from her home in Burlington to the home of her son Jess and family; she is a very sick woman. Mr. and Mrs. J.W. Cochran of Kirkwood are the proud parents of a baby son born last Thursday morning at the Monmouth Hospital. Miss Nancy Jamison has resumed her work at the post office after a month's vacation. Miss Ethel Cook, her assistant discharged duties in her absence.
LOCAL AND AREA NEWS: A fine baby girl came to gladden the home of Mr. and Mrs. Willis Keener; she will bear the name Audrey Marie. Mr. Audrey Foote, wife and baby of Washington, D.C. drove through in their car to make a visit to his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Jay Foote. Report says that Ray Houtchens, a former Stronghurst boy who has been working for the Sinclair Oil Co. at Niota, Ill. for the past two year, has been promoted to the position of Chief Engineer of the company's big pumping plant at Ponemah, Ill. Marion Cook, a resident of the Old Bedford neighborhood some 25 years or 30 years ago, came in on No. 22 from his home in Winfield, Kans. He reports that the recent high water in the neighborhood of Winfield caused damage to the farmers to the extent of thousands of dollars and that the reports in the newspapers were not at all exaggerated.
H. W. Lanphere and wife and daughters Grace of Hollywood, Calif., have been guests at the home of his brother, Guy Lanphere and family. They drove through in their auto by way of the southern route and hope to return by the way of Washington State. Marion Forbes of South Bend, Ind. visited his parents Mr. and Mrs. C.S. Forbes; he has fully recovered from the effects of an automobile accident a week or so ago. During the absence of Walter Leibengood and family from their home north of town last Saturday, thieves stripped the cherry trees in their orchard of all the fruit using the ladder which had been placed in the orchard for the use by the family in picking the cherries on the following Monday.
Correction concerning the accident which happened to Mrs. Frank Cox: The report we published stated that Mrs. Cox had stepped out on the shafts of the buggy to arrange the bridle on the horse she was driving. It appears, however, that the horse was running, that the bridle bit broke and that Mrs. Cox stepped out on the shaft in a desperate attempt to reach the halter and was run over. Otis Mills of La Harpe, who was on probation for another crime committed a few years ago, was convicted in the circuit court of Hancock County of stealing an automobile from Dr. D.F. Beacom of La Harpe and sentenced to a term on from one to ten years in the penitentiary at Joliet. Mills is a young man of good parentage and has a wife and two small children. He claims that he merely took the Beacom automobile for a joy ride and was forced to abandon it when it broke down. Mrs. A.E. Moore and two children left for a visit with relatives and old friends in Ekhart and Winnipeg, Manitoba; they expect to be gone one month.